Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

28 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 

Last updated 3-26-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Rough Year for Chicago GM's

Technically it's a new year I guess, but Angelo's firing culminated in the failure of 2011. A lot of you already mentioned the Bears hiring Bill Polian whom I believe Lovie Smith is familiar with.

As for the Cubs, all quiet on the western front. Garza rumors swirl, but my guess is Theo is running into the same issues that Kenny Williams ran into trying to move John Danks. The return in prospects isn't going to be as bountiful with only a year or two left of club control and the player already earning high end arbitration dollars. Garza does have one more year before being free agent eligible though and in the end, it just takes one sucker. Allegedly the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers and Marlins are the most interested. I also read some rumor about Marlon Byrd possibly being the compensation to the Red Sox. I can't even recall where I heard that, so don't put much stock into it.

Comments

Coco Crisp has decided on where he'll sign--- looks like it's the A's not the Cubs but nothing official yet.

I also read some rumor about Marlon Byrd possibly being the compensation to the Red Sox. I can't even recall where I heard that, so don't put much stock into it. --- It was the Boston Globe's big bad Nick Cafardo in his weekend baseball notes which have become voluminous because of all the venom spewing toward Chicago of late...
27. Would the Red Sox and Cubs settle on outfielder Marlon Byrd as compensation for Theo Epstein? Byrd is a 34-year-old high-effort righthanded hitter with a good arm who could platoon in right, though his splits are not platoon-friendly. Last season, he hit righties at a .296 clip and lefties at .219. Something would probably have to be done about that $6.5 million salary, with the Cubs picking up some, if not all of it.
http://articles.boston.com/2012-01-01/sports/30579525_1_ben-cherington-…

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

If they want a platoon outfielder, then they can have Soriano. The Red Sox "nation" has gone from wanting Castro to Garza to top prospects to Byrd to whatever and ever. I think Epstein's a pretty good GM, but I don't get why they think they're gonna get something of much value when the guy was just a GM and he left for a promotion. Boston fans are ridiculous.

For Angelo to go two years in a row without sufficient depth (quality) at the most important position, and to sign players with injury history on the o-line making his golden-boy QB punished like a boxing speed-bag, is truly fucked-up. Todd Fucking Collins?! He should have been fired for signing that turd alone.

[ ]

In reply to by Dusty Baylor

Geez, we could all write a book on the poor decisions he made. There are some paralells to Hendry to be sure. While Angelo should be applauded for Hester and some defensive moves, to predicate a Championship just on special teams and D alone is extremely flawed when compared to the perennial successful teams. And, the "evaluation of talent" thing - the Packers are like the Cardinals are to the Cubs now. Just overall better talent from top to bottom (save a few players).

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

some of the backup QB issues have to fall on Lovie and Martz though for wanting someone familiar with the system, instead of someone actually talented. McNown actually didn't look too bad to me. He could make the intermediate throws, stuck in the pocket and could scramble. Still be nice if they could find a decent young QB in the first 3 rounds.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Not Lovie, really. He's a damn good coach and they were right for saying we love Lovie and f- the rest of ya. He never really has much to work with, in my opinion. An occasional defensive guy (peppers), Brian U, and that's about it. He really does a lot with very little. EDIT: you can make the argument that he stuck with Martz too long, but I thought Martz was a reasonable gamble, and Lovie at least said to the world, you know what? I don't know offense, so I'm gonna hire an offense guy. It didn't work out cuz Martz is so 1990. His system was so complex that nobody really grokked it, and he did stupid ass stuff like ask his QB, who is a pocket QB, to drop back ten steps. A Good offensive coach will adapt to his QB. Cutler hated that guy, for good reason. Drop back ten, get creamed. I'd hate him too. EDIT NUMBER 2: I hope that the new GM knows football well enough to know that if you want to do the free agent thing with wide receivers you get guys who can catch bullets. I'm not convinced Roy Williams can't. He may have a nice year next year without Martz. But we need a guy as GM who really gets that. Cutler is not a QB for panzy receivers. You have to react quick, watch the ball in your gut, and close your eyes and learn how to take a tackle. Yes, I played wide out as a kid.

Brad Snyder still kicking, traded to Rangers from O's for cash considerations. -edit- whoops, that's Brandon Snyder, different guy. The ex-Cub Brad Snyder signed with the Astros this offseason.

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

I saw McCaskey for the first time yesterday. He doesn't look like a football man or a businessman. He looks and talks like a store clerk. To tie this back to the Cubs (since this is a Cubs blog), if you put McCaskey, Phillips, Ricketts and Epstein in a lineup, you could easily pick out the owner and president of the forlorn franchise with no hope. The McCaskeys have done nothing for the Bears in thirty-plus years. They won Super Bowl XX, but old man Halas, before he died, had already hand-picked the head coach and, more importantly, the defensive coordinator of that '85 team. (Not that Halas did the Bears any favors during my lifetime.) What a rotten organization. Ownership is everything.

randomness dude asking Rosenthal if he's heard anything about a deal of Felix Hernandez going to the Blue Jays. Allegedly Jaso and Felix for Gose, Arencibia, Alvarez, Snider and Drabek from a Blue Jays front office source. Says Garza talks were more a plan B. https://twitter.com/tmfb82

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.

  • videographer (view)

    AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch.  The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.